worry
- to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
- to move with effort: an old car worrying uphill.
- to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.
- to seize, especially by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another.
- to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.
- a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.
- a cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.
- act of worrying.
- Fox Hunting. the action of the hounds in tearing to pieces the carcass of a fox.
- worry along/through, Informal. to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty: to worry through an intolerable situation.
- no worries, Informal. Don’t be troubled; it is of no concern: If you can’t make it to the party, no worries.Also not to worry.
Origin of worry
Synonyms for worry
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comSynonym study
Related Words for worry
pain, apprehension, uncertainty, misgiving, doubt, uneasiness, misery, woe, fear, headache, anguish, problem, concern, annoy, depress, disturb, unsettle, perturb, bother, upsetExamples from the Web for worry
Contemporary Examples of worry
Still, I worry that a simple traffic stop could have tragic consequences.
And the authorities also worry that the December fires are just the beginning.
I wish this was the last time I had to worry about hunger and bombs.
This is a well-documented phenomenon which does not worry specialists.
And I worry that the world will have very mixed feelings about him.
Shocking New Reveals From Sony Hack: J. Law, Pitt, Clooney, and Star WarsWilliam Boot
December 12, 2014
Historical Examples of worry
I can't remember when I haven't awakened to doubt, and worry, and heart-sickness.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
He began to worry seriously about keeping Mr. Hichens out of his house.
Life and Death of Harriett FreanMay Sinclair
By George, he'd fool her, for once: he'd go away, and let her worry.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
Tell Mrs. Drummond he was in good spirits, and that she's not to worry.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
It doesn't seem to bother him any, so I don't see why it should worry me.
In the Midst of AlarmsRobert Barr
worry
- to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous
- (tr) to disturb the peace of mind of; botherdon't worry me with trivialities
- (intr; often foll by along or through) to proceed despite difficulties
- (intr often foll by away) to struggle or workto worry away at a problem
- (tr) (of a dog, wolf, etc) to lacerate or kill by biting, shaking, etc
- (when intr, foll by at) to bite, tear, or gnaw (at) with the teetha dog worrying a bone
- (tr) to move as specified, esp by repeated pushesthey worried the log into the river
- (tr) to touch or poke repeatedly and idly
- obsolete to choke or cause to choke
- not to worry informal you need not worry
- a state or feeling of anxiety
- a person or thing that causes anxiety
- an act of worrying
- no worries informal an expression used to express agreement or to convey that something is proceeding or has proceeded satisfactorily; no problem
Word Origin for worry
Word Origin and History for worry
Old English wyrgan "to strangle," from West Germanic *wurgijanan (cf. Middle Dutch worghen, Dutch worgen, Old High German wurgen, German würgen "to strangle," Old Norse virgill "rope"), from PIE *wergh- "to turn" (see wring). Related: Worrisome; worrying.
The oldest sense was obsolete in English after c.1600; meaning "annoy, bother, vex," first recorded 1670s, developed from that of "harass by rough or severe treatment" (1550s), as of dogs or wolves attacking sheep. Meaning "to cause mental distress or trouble" is attested from 1822; intransitive sense of "to feel anxiety or mental trouble" is first recorded 1860.
1804, from worry (v.).